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ITC Entertainment
Not part of a collection.
The mission was a sham. The murders were real.
In order to protect the reputation of the American space program, a team of NASA administrators turn the first Mars mission into a phony Mars landing. Under threat of harm to their families the astronauts play their part in the deception on a staged set in a deserted military base. But once the real ship returns to Earth and burns up on re-entry, the astronauts become liabilities. Now, with the help of a crusading reporter, they must battle a sinister conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.
John Chard
Jun 25, 2019 · via TMDB
It's a pleasure alright, and I don't feel guilty about it at all!. A NASA space mission up to Mars fails to get off the ground due to major technical problems. Fearing funding could be taken away and wishing to avoid embarrassment, the powers that be decide to do a fake landing in a studio. With the astronauts forced to pretend that they are actually up on Mars, and fighting with their own personal belief systems, the government executives in charge fear that the fake flight could come to light. Upon learning that the outside world actually thinks they crashed upon reentering the earths atmosphere, the astronauts run for their lives knowing that the government can't afford for the men to stay alive. Capricorn One is an excellent conspiracy picture that sadly seems to have been largely forgotten. Even today we are still hearing mooted stories of the landing on the moon actually being fake, so here director and writer Peter Hyams takes it and crafts a thrillingly taut piece of work. At the films heart is Elliot Gould's (his great 70s work under valued) intrepid journalist, Robert Caulfield, after being nudged in the ribs by one of his friends at NASA, is himself under threat of death from shadowy government types who will think of nothing to offing him along with the astronauts. The film is split into two very significant halves, the first half is the set up, the conversations before and after the fake landing are clever and crucially attention grabbing, and of course we get to know our characters with the right amount of time. The film then shifts for the second half into a quality thriller chase movie, our main protagonists pursued by the government assassins courtesy of two gun toting helicopters. Jerry Goldsmith's score brilliantly becoming part of the chase sequences, making the helicopters seem like death stalking machines operated by no man alone. We even get Telly Savalas joining us for the last quarter with a highly fun and enjoyable portrayal as a crop dusting knight in red shiny armour, and the finale positively rocks and finishes the film on the high note it promised all along. James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson, Hal Holbrook and Karen Black fill out the rest of the cast with much credit indeed. Capricorn One, criminally undervalued, and perhaps even more sad, forgotten. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Elliott Gould
Robert Caulfield
James Brolin
Col. Charles Brubaker
Brenda Vaccaro
Kay Brubaker
Sam Waterston
Lt. Col. Peter Willis
O. J. Simpson
Cmdr. John Walker
Hal Holbrook
Dr. James Kelloway
Karen Black
Judy Drinkwater
Telly Savalas
Albain
David Huddleston
Hollis Peaker
David Doyle
Walter Loughlin
Lee Bryant
Sharon Willis
Denise Nicholas
Betty Walker
Robert Walden
Elliot Whitter
James B. Sikking
Control Room Man
Alan Fudge
Capsule Communicator
James Karen
Vice President Price
Jon Cedar
F.B.I. Man Number 1
Norman Bartold
President
Darrell Zwerling
Dr. Bergen
Milton Selzer
Dr. Burroughs
Lou Frizzell
Horace Gruning
Nancy Malone
Mrs. Peaker
Paul Picerni
Jerry
Barbara Bosson
Alva Leacock
Bob Harks
Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Bryan
Spectator (uncredited)
Dan Perri
Title Designer
Bill Butler
Director of Photography
Bruce McBroom
Still Photographer
Michael Westmore
Makeup Artist
Bill Hickman
Stunt Coordinator
Peter Hyams
Director
Mike Fenton
Casting
Ron Underwood
Location Manager
Jerry Goldsmith
Original Music Composer
Peter Hyams
Screenplay
The Aeronauts
The Empire Strikes Back
Casablanca
The Thing
The Elephant Man
Return of the Jedi
Rosemary's Baby
Rio Bravo
Cool Hand Luke
Planet of the Apes
All the President's Men
Giant
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
First Blood
Escape from Alcatraz
The Manchurian Candidate
The Hill
Dawn of the Dead
Apollo 13
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Duel
The Godfather Part III
Distant Lights
The Omen
The Lady Vanishes
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Minority Report
Operation Condor
Total Recall
Star Trek: First Contact
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
The China Syndrome
Desert Hearts
Starship Troopers
Galaxy Quest
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
Arlington Road
Smokey and the Bandit
Bettiol: Il Deserto nella Cattedrale
The Science of Sleep
Wag the Dog
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Goodbye Bafana
Kiss of the Dragon
Breakdown
Look Both Ways
Tarnation
The King's Case Note
A Chinese Ghost Story II
Klute
The Da Vinci Code
Berlin Tunnel 21
The Tree of Life
The Man in the Iron Mask
The Longest Yard
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Crank
Clear and Present Danger
Logan's Run
U Turn
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek: Generations
Tarantula
Asteria
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: Insurrection
Syriana
Wild Things
Last Man Standing
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
The Polar Bear
Hart's War
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Smilla's Sense of Snow
Star Trek: Nemesis
A View to a Kill
Führer Ex
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Dune
Moonraker
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Mission: Impossible II
The Legend of Zorro
Gerry
Sounds of Sand
Eraser
Conspiracy '58
Project: ALF
Switchback
This Island Earth
Mission to Mars
The Devil's in Love
Solaris
The Ice Harvest
The President's Analyst
Automata
Glue
Wedlock
The Chase
The Alamo
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Hudson Hawk
Red Planet
Lucia, Before and After
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Hulk
Earth Girls Are Easy
The Scorpion King
Diabolique
Tank Girl
Stranded
Species II
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
The Noah's Ark Principle
Running Scared
Wasted
Ankle Bone
Dr. T & the Women
Cargo
Spaceflight IC-1
Solar Crisis
45 Calibre Echo
Ghost Magnet
Mutant on the Bounty
En el camino
Mars Community
Alone Together
The Martian
Arrival
Contact
Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Xeno
Star Trek Beyond
Oblivion
Fire in the Sky
2010
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Titan A.E.
The Vast of Night
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Star Trek: Insurrection
John Carter
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Star Trek: Nemesis
Midnight Special
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
The Final Cut
The Arrival
Stowaway
Solaris
Jun 2, 1978
Feb 17, 1998
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The Reckoning
2018
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2015
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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